Connector for electrical



(No Model.) v v C. G. PERKINS. CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRICAL APPL'IANGES.

No. 362,108. Patented May 3,1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

CHARLES G. PERKINS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,108, dated May 3,1887.

A1 plication tiled December 18, 1886. Serial No.22L9-l3. (Nomodelo T0aZZ whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. PERKINS, acitizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inConnectors for Electrical Appliances; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

Myinvention relates especially to means for making connection betweenwires running along walls or ceilings and electric appliances projectingor depending from the same. The object of my invention is to provideconnections which shall insure good contact, and shall at the same timebe strong and comparatively free from liability to get out of order. Iaccomplish this result by means which are illus trated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents an elevation of myconnector, some of the parts being shown in section. Fig. 2 is aperspective of an electrical appliance adapted to be used with myconnector. Fig. 3 is a perspective of one part of the base for myconnector. Fig. 4 is a plan of a plug that forms a portion of myconnector, and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views.

In the drawings, A is a base or support having grooves, through whichelectric insulated wires to a runj I have shown a base especiallyadapted to be applied to conductors running along the ceiling; but it isevident that it might also be applied to wall-conductors.

B is a cup-shaped cap or cover carrying suitable circuit-terminals, andalso forming asupport for a socket, 0, corresponding to the usuallamp-socket. Within the hollow portion of the cap or coverB are locatedstrips 6 f gh, which are secured to the cap or cover by suitable screwsnear their middle portions in such a manner that on either side of thesaid screws the strips pass out of direct contact with the cap or'cover, and form springs for making strong contact. The strips 6 and hare each perforated at one end with a hole, t, and bent at the other endinto a'U shape, the body of the U extending down through holes j j inthe cap or cover.

It should be stated that the holes i z in the strips 6 and h correspondto the similar perforations through the cover. The springs f and gsupport upon their inner ends hollow posts k k, and are formed at theother end like strips 6 and it into U-shaped portions,which also extendinto the openings j j, but are located at opposite sides of thoseopenings from the ends of the strips 6 and h. The hollow posts k kextend up through the plug B and through the inner ends of the strips fand g, and are secured by nuts I Z. The said posts are provided withshoulders at m, which fit into grooves in the bottom of the cap orcover. Within the hollow posts are secured springs n n, for makingconnection with the electrical appliances, as will be describedhereinafter.

I will now describe the means for making mechanical and electricalconnections between the parts already described. Thepoint havingbeeudetermined 011 where it is desired to attach an electric appliance, thewires a a are bared for a very short distance and brought into thegrooves in the base or support A. Screws 0 0 are then applied to them insuch a way that the heads of the said screws,which are flanged or bentover, as shown, catch upon the bared portions, while the body of thescrews pass down through the base A. The screws 0 o are long enough toextend not only through the base A, but also through the cap or cover B,and they are so arranged that they pass through the openings t i in thesaid cover. Below the latter screw-caps P P are applied to them, andserve to hold the parts together.

It is evident that by turning the screw-caps the connection between thescrews and the wires can be made as close and firm as desired. It isalso evidentthat the connection is a very strong one, and that so longas the wires are properly supported there is no danger of the partsbecoming disconnected. Upon the body of each screw 0 is a nut, 0,whichis so adjusted as to make good contact with the ends of the springs eand h, as shown in Fig. 1. Thus far we have traced the connection fromthe wires to the springs e and h. To complete the connection acrossopenings j j to the strips f g and the posts 70 k, I employ thesafety-plugs R R, which are inserted from below through the openingsjj.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that that portion of each plug Rwhich passes through IOO the opening tapers slightly from its extremityinward or downward. The same portion is also provided with a very slightgroove along its sides and a larger one at the top, in which lies afusible wire, 1'. The latter is kept in place by having its ends turnedinto holes in the plug. IVhen the plugs R It are pushed up into place,it is obvious that the electrical connection is made across the openingsjj through the wires 1' 9', thus completing the connection through theparts described. The plugs are kept in place by the springs bearingagainst their tapering surfaces.

The connections to the electrical appliances are made in any suitablemanner. In Fig. 2 I show a hollow plug, D, having terminals (Z (Z, fromwhich insulated wires 0 c extend. The plug is also provided on oppositesides with pins t t, and may be connected with the socket O by abayonet-joint, as illustrated in Fig. 1; and when so connected theterminals (Z (Z will be so located as to make contact with the springs an in the hollow posts 7.: It. The wires 6 c extend downward to beconnected with any nection may be applied to a single wire, itcircumstances make such a thing desirable-that is to say, I do not wishto limit myself to the use of the screw 0 for making connections with apair of wires; but I desire to cover its use with one or more wires, asthe case may be.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is l. The combination,with a pair of wires and a base or support having grooves within whichthe wires lie, of screws having bent or flanged heads for catching overthe wires, the said screws passing through the base, and be ing providedwith nuts for making contact with conducting-pieces supported thereon,and serew-caps for tightening the contact with the wire, as set forth.

2. The combination, with a pair of parallel wires and a base or supporthaving grooves in which the wires lie, of a cap or cover carryingcircuit-terminals, and means for making the mechanical connectionbetween the plug and the base, and the electricalconnection between theterminals and the wires, consisting of screws 0 0, having the nuts 0 o,and the screw caps I P.

3. The combination, with a pair of wires and a base or support havinggrooves in which the wires lie, of a plug carrying circuit-terminals,the members being connected by a safety-plug, and mechanism,substantially as described, for making the mechanical connection betweenthe plug and the base and the electrical connection between theterminals and the wires.

In testimony whereof I have atlixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES G. PERKINS.

"Witnesses:

\VILLARD EDDY, GABRIEL P. BEHRISCH'.

